Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1887-01-21
Pickett's Charge.


O'clock by my watch the two signal
guus were heard in quick succ ession.
In another minute every gun was at
work. The enemy were not slow in
coming back at us, and the grand roar
of nearly the whole artillery OF both
armies burst in on the silence, almost
as suddenly as the full notes of an or
gan could fill church.
"The artillery of Ewell's corps, how
ever, took only small part, | believe,
In this, as they were too far away
around the town. Some Of them might
have done good service from positions
between Hill and Ewell, enfilading the
batteries fighting us. The opportunity
to do that was the single advantage, in
our having the exterior line, to eom-
pensate for all its disadvantages. But
our line was so far extended that all of
it was not well studied, and the officers
of each corps had no opportunity TO ex-
anime each others ground for chances
Of cooperative work.
"The enemy's position seemed to have
broken out with guns everywhere, and
from Round Top to Cemetery Hill was
blazing like volcano. The air seemed
full OF missiles from every direction.
The severity Of the fire may be Illus
trated by the casualties in my own bat
talon under Major Huger.
"Before the cannonade opened had
made up my mind to give Pickett the
order 10 advance within fifteen or
twenty minutes after 1t began. But
when looked at the full development.
of the enemy's batteries, and knew chat
his infantry was generally protected
from our Ire BY stone walls and swells
of the ground, could not bring myself
to give the word. 1t seemed madness
to launch infantry into that fire, with
nearly three-quarters of mile to go In
the midday July sun. let the fifteen
minutes pass, and twenty, AMI twenty
five, hoping vainly for something to
turn up. Then wrote to Pickett: IF
you are coming at all you must come at
once, or cannot give you proper sup
port: but the enemy's fire has not
slackened at all at least eighteen guns
are still firing from the cemetery itself.
Five minutes after sending that mes
sage, the enemy's fire suddenly began
TO slacken, and the guns in the cemetery
limbered up and vacated the position.
"We Confederatos often did such
things as that to save ammunition for
use against infantry, but | had never
before seen the Federals withdraw their
guns simply to save them up for the i'm
fantry dght. SO said, 'If he does not
run fresh batteries in there in five min
utes, this is our fight | looked anx-
iously with my glass, and the five min
utes passed without sign Of life OF the
deserted position, still swept by our fire,
and Uttered with dead men and horses
and fragments of disabled carriages.
Then l wrote Pickett, urgently. For
Gods sake, come quick. The eighteen
guns are gone; come quick, or my am
munition won't let me support you
properly.
81 afterwards heard from others what
took place with my first note to Pickett.
Pickett took it to Longstreet, Long
street read it, and said nothing. Pick
EFT said, General, shall advance?
Longstreet, knowing 1t had to be, but
unwilling to give the word, turned
his face away. Pickett saluted and
said, Il am going to move forward, sir,
galloped of to his division and immedi-
ately put it in motion.
"Longstreet, leaving his staff, came
out alone to where / was. 1t was then
about 40 p. m. l explained the situ-
alton, feeling then more hopeful, but
afraid our artillery ammunition might
not hold out for all we would want.
Longstreet said, stop Pickett immedi-
ately and replenish your ammunition.
| explained that it would take too long,
and the enemy would recover from the
effect our fire was theL having, and we
had, moreover, very little to replenish
with. Longstreet said, Il don't want
to make this attack. ] would stop 1t
now but that General Lee ordered it
and expects tito 60 on. 1don't see how
il can succeed
81 listened but did not dare effer
word. The battle was lost If we stop
ped. Ammunition was far too low to
try anything else, for we had been fight
ing three days. There was a chance,
and 1t was not my part to Interfere.
While Longstreet was still speaking,
Pickett's division swept out Of the wood
and showed the full length Of its gray
ranks and shining bayonets, as grand
sight as ever a man looked on. Joining
it on the left, Pettigrew stretched
farther than could see. General Dick
Garrett, just out of The sick ambulance,
and buttoHsd up in an old blue over
coat, riding at the head Of his brigade,
passed us and saluted Longstreet. Car
nett was a warm personal friend, and
we had not met before for months. We
had served on the plains together before
the war. rode with him short dis
tancs, and then we wished each other
luck and goodbye which was our last.
"Then | rode down the line Of guns,
selecting such as had enough ammuni-
ton to follow Pieketts advance, and
started them after him as fast as posi-
BILE. got, L think, fifteen or eighteen
in all in a little while, and went with